Racing:Goldikova underlined her status as one of the world's leading milers by securing a ninth Group One this afternoon, denying a fast-finishing Paco Boy a second successive Queen Anne Stakes victory in a thrilling start to the Royal Ascot meeting.
Jockey Olivier Peslier pushed the five-year-old, trained in France by Freddie Head, clear two furlongs from home but had to dig deep as Paco Boy closed relentlessly. At the finish the 11-8 favourite had just a neck to spare from the 11-4 chance Paco Boy.
"When she gets to the front she's never beaten. She's extraordinary," Head said afterwards.
Goldikova, racing for the first time at Ascot, has won the last two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in California.
The highly-touted Australian challenge never materialised in the King's Stand Stakes, won by Equiano (9-2) for the second time in three years.
Aussie sprinters have dominated the five furlong dash in recent years, with four victories since 2003, but Nicconi and Gold Trail finished unplaced.
Equiano was trained in Spain when winning at Ascot in 2008 but after a change of owners landed up at the Lambourn yard of Barry Hills.
It was a first victory in the race for Hills but a 24th Royal Ascot success in his long training career. "It's taken long enough," said Hills senior, who is battling throat cancer.
In a family affair, son Michael partnered Equiano to victory but endured a rollercoaster ride.
"Today he was so quick out of the gates he stumbled . . . I was hanging on for dear life," he said.